Rockland Is Healthiest County In NY: New Study

Rockland County is the healthiest county in New York, according to the annual HealthRankings released Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Westchester County ranked third, Putnam was ranked sixth, Dutchess 13th, Orange County 18th and Ulster 31st of the 62 counties in New York.

The researchers this year focused on housing. They said their research shows that where you live influences how well and how long a person lives.

“Our homes are inextricably tied to our health,” said Richard Besser, MD, RWJF president and CEO. “It’s unacceptable that so many individuals and families face barriers to health because of what they have to spend on housing. This leaves them with fewer dollars to keep their families healthy. Imagine the stress and pain that come with unplanned moves. We are all healthier and stronger together when everyone has access to safe and affordable housing, regardless of the color of their skin or how much money they make.”

This year’s Rankings State Reports show stark differences across and within counties in the opportunity to afford a home, especially for those with low incomes and people of color.

High housing costs make it difficult for families to afford other essentials that contribute to good health, such as healthy food, medicine, or transportation to work or school, researchers said.

Key drivers in health such as severe housing cost burden connect to other factors like children in poverty, researchers said. Among New York’s children living in poverty, 64 percent were living in a household that spends more than half of its income on housing.

Looking at differences by place and race offers a more complete picture of health. In New York, 20 percent of households spend more than half of their income on housing costs but when they looked by race—even deeper differences emerge with households headed by Hispanic residents most burdened by severe housing costs at 29 percent compared to White resident households at 15 percent. County by county, severe housing cost burden ranges from 10 percent to 32 percent of households, researchers said.

According to the 2019 rankings, the five healthiest counties in New York, starting with the most healthy, are Rockland County, followed by Nassau County, Westchester County, Saratoga County, and New York County.

None of the least healthy counties are in the Hudson Valley, according to the study. They are: Bronx County, Sullivan County, Cattaraugus County, Chautauqua County, and Niagara County.

The rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.